Engelbert Humperdinck: I’m going to keep going until God calls me

Born with the slightly more mundane moniker Arnold George Dorsey in 1936 in Madras, India, where his father was stationed with the British Army, he credits his mother’s side of the family with giving him his singing voice.

After some success in Europe in the mid-1960s, the British singer exploded in popularity with his 1967 cover of Release Me. The song, which arguably remains his best known, reached number one in the UK – beating the Beatles’ double A-side single Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever – and broke into the top 10 across the Atlantic.

Humperdinck’s catalogue of saccharine love songs – including The Last Waltz, Spanish Eyes and Quando Quando Quando – later earned him the nickname “the King of Romance”. Throughout his career, the veteran entertainer has sold more than 140 million records globally.

“I’ve had some great songs that have been around the world,” Humperdinck tells me as he reflects on his career while sat in the Presidential Suite of the Hilton on Park Lane, a fitting location for the artist.

“For instance, The Last Waltz has played in every dancehall around the world and to think that my music has put people together, they’ve met and gone out together and dated and married to my music, I feel very flattered.”

Having performed for royalty and heads of state, received Grammy nominations, and been honoured with stars on both the Hollywood and Las Vegas Walks of Fame, there are many career highlights for the singer to choose from. But his televised performance at the London Palladium in 1967 is the one that stands out.

“My first single (Release Me) didn’t take off for three months until I played the London Palladium,” the 87-year-old recalls.

“Once I played that magical theatre, the very next day it was selling 80,000, 90,000 to 100,000 a day.

“And it stopped the Beatles from having their number one.”

As well as his quirky stage name, Humperdinck is known for his trademark sideburns, voluminous dyed brunette hair and deep tan, which he shows off regularly in the jovial videos he shares on social media.

His popularity has endured through the decades and he continues to find new audiences as young people discover his music through shows, films and older generations.

He also earned himself a new group of fans after he represented the UK at Eurovision in 2012 in Baku, Azerbaijan, with the track Love Will Set You Free, where he finished second last.

It was here, more than a decade ago, that he met Baku-born singer Emin, who was the half-time guest performer. An unexpected friendship was formed, transcending borders and cultures, in true Eurovision style, culminating in a newly released single.

The track is a rendition of Help Me Make It Through The Night, a country ballad original composed and released by US singer Kris Kristofferson and later covered by artists including the late Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley, who was a close friend of Humperdinck.

When Emin and Humperdinck first met, they discovered they had a mutual respect and appreciation for the King of Rock and Roll as Humperdinck was wearing a necklace at the time which was a gift from Presley from the 1970s. It brandished the initials TCB – “taking care of business” – the rocker’s personal motto.

There has been a surge in Elvis fever of recent with a slate of new biopics, including Baz Luhrmann’s Oscar-nominated Elvis and Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla, as well as a new exhibition in London and forthcoming hologram show.

Humperdinck is “without a doubt” that Presley would appreciate the celebration of his legacy.

“What he’s left behind, I don’t think any performer will ever do,” he adds.

“His legacy is amazing and everybody covers his songs. And to sing one of his songs is quite an honour, I think.”

Humperdinck, who has been known to pop his collar and shake his pelvis on stage on occasion, says he was “in awe” when he watched Presley perform.

“I’d never seen a performer as good as Elvis, ever,” he says with admiration.

“When I watched him work, I learned so much, I just sat there like a beginner.

“And although I’d been in the business a few years, I sat down in awe looking at this man, who was the giant of showbusiness and the most impersonated man the world has ever known.”

And despite Presley’s superstardom, Humperdinck says the singer also kept a level head.

“He had a lot of humility, and he never took his career seriously, I learned that from him,” he says.

“Once you make it in this business, when you make it big, it could go to your head.

“And your performance is affected by conceit because when you stand on that stage and you start thinking you’re the best singer in the world, the people in the audience can sense that and see that, and you could lose your career like that.”

Although he recalls a particular show being overtaken by Presley after he introduced his friend to the audience, but Humperdinck tells the story with pride rather than resentment.

“He didn’t go to many shows,” he says with a smile. “He would only go to see certain people. And I feel quite honoured about that, that he came to mine.”

Humperdinck appears to have passed along Presley’s lesson by embodying the quality, as Emin praises the singer for always taking time to connect with his fans wherever he is.

“What I learned from him is no matter how big you are, and how big of a venue you can fill of your fans and people that love your music, you should always keep your feet steady on the ground,” Emin says as he turns to Humperdinck, who is sat beside him in the luxury London suite.

“He’s very attentive and it’s very rare because the younger the artists are, the less they want to (do) pictures and autographs and give attention to the audience.

“So in that case, he’s a big example for all of us. Don’t lose touch with the people that make your career.”

The 44-year-old Azerbaijani singer says getting to know Humperdinck has been the “greatest highlight” of his career, but the recording has elevated the experience as it is a moment which will be a part of history forever.

Humperdinck will be travelling through America and Australia on his The Last Waltz’ Farewell Tour this year before he returns to play shows in the UK, including a date at the London Palladium, where he hopes Emin will join him for a duet.

Does he have any plans to retire? “I’m going to keep going until God calls me,” he says with a smile.

“And that’s an obvious thing, nobody knows that, but it’s obvious.

“Life goes on but there is a time when it will end, but I don’t want to end.

“And I want my music to continue in my legacy.”

Emin’s new album Now Or Never is out now, featuring the single Help Me Make It Through The Night with Engelbert Humperdinck.